Apparatus for agitating and heating mobile material



L. W. BATES. APPARATUS FOR AGITA'TLNG AND HEATING MOBILE MATERIAL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 10, ISHB.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

APPARATUS FOR AGITATING AND HEATING MOBILE MATERIAL Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Feb. 14:, 1922.

Application filed December 10, 1919. Serial No. 343,983.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINDON W. Barns, a citizen of. the United States,residing at Mount Lebanon, in the county of Columbia and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forAgitating and Heating Mobile Material, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention pertains to an apparatus for agitating and heating mobilematerial stored in bulk and is designed more particularly to cause oreffect a constant or periodic agitation or flow in a stored body ofmobile fuel. The fuel may be oil, tar or a blend of several liquidhydrocarbons. So also the fuel may be oil having asphaltic or carbonparticles as natural impurities which it is desired to retain insuspense, Or the fuel may be a composite of pulverized carbonaceousparticles and liquid hydrocarbon. In such composites containingparticles or immiscible droplets above colloidal size, sedimentation orsettling proceeds naturally when the fuel is at rest, unless artificialstabilizing treatment has been given, as by the addition of certainstabilizing agents, for instance, mineral soaps, coal derivatives, orchlorine gas and by the proper blending of the components. Agitationalso delays or prevents separation of the components or recombines themand may to a limited extent be resorted to instead of the addition ofsuch agentsand treatment, or to reduce the amount of agent used orduration of the treatment. Artificially induced stability may be renewedin this way or its termination deferred. In general, wherever agitationis useful to temporarily retain particles or droplets in suspension in aliquid medium, this invention indicates an improved way to agitate.Furthermore since heating the medium reduces its viscosity and henceaugments the tendency to separation, the apparatus hereafter describedoperates to overcome to some extent this effect. Circulation is quiteeffective to accomplish the desired result, and it may be accelerated orreduced inspeed by elevating or lowering the heat applied to the parts,

.Aside from causing a circulation the apparatus is a convenient way oftransmitting heat as it embodies a large heating area in small space andwell distributed. It is superior to coils or ordinary pipes carryingsteam or hot water. As practically all heavy oils and composites have tobe preheated in storage in order to flow and be atomized in burnersorotherwise dealt with, the present invention describes a convenient wayof so heating the fuel or other material.

' A simple embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the annexeddrawings, where- Wig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of atank with the heat applying means positioned therein;

Fig. 2' a transverse vertical sectional view;

Fig. 3 an enlarged sectional elevation of a portion of the heatdistributing and current initiating element; and

Fig. 4: a, detail view of an alternative form of one of the distributingelements.

In the drawings,.l denotes a tank which may be of any desired form forland or marine storage, but which, by preference, will be curved(circular) in cross section to prevent the formation of angles orpockets which would have a tendency to produce stagnation and aconsequent sedimentation. The tank is provided with a suitable manhole2, a filling pipe 3 and a discharge or offtake pipe 4, the latterextending well down toward the lowermost portion of the tank andpreferably terminating in a T 5. Heating pipes extend into the tank andin the particular arrangement shown comprise two inlet pipes 6 and 7, adischarge pipe 8 and laterals 9 and 10 which connect pipes 6 and 7respectively with the discharge pipe 8. Lateral 9 preferably passesthrough the T 5 in spaced relation thereto thereby imparting heatdirectly to the fuel mixtureat such point, ensuring and assisting in theready outflow of the fuel through the discharge I Dach of the verticallydisposed pipes 6,

7 and 8 will preferably be provided with a plurality of heat dispersionand current producing elements. The elements are formed of metal so asto readily absorb and conduct the heat from the supporting pipes andgive it off to the liquid fuel in which they are submerged. Each element11 is of substantially inverted cone shaped form and is provided with asleeve 12 which closely fits the heating pipe, being sepured. thereto bya set screw 13, or other suitable fastening means. The uppermost elementor deflector of each series is preferably imperforate, but the wall ofeach of those below is provided with perforations as 14: and thedeflectors are so secured to the pipes that the openings in one stand ina staggered relation to those immediately above and below. The heatingmedium, such for instance as hot water or steam passing down the pipes(land 7 through the laterals 9 and 10 and up pipe 8,.heats said pipesand consequently heats the fuel surrounding the same. Such heating willinduce a flow in the fuel, the warmed or heated portion tending to rise,with a consequent falling of the relative cool portion. The deflectorsmoreover are heated and transmit and give off the heat to thesurrounding fue-l body. By reason of their formation the rising warmedfuel will be deflected outwardly away from the pipes and deflectors andby reason'of the staggeredrelation of the openings 14- the rising fuelmass is broken up into a series of outwardly flowing or directedcurrents and prevented from rising directly to the upper portion of thetank. The flow thus produced is indicated by the arrows, Figs. 1' and 2from which it will be seen that the entire body or mass of fuel is keptin a constant state of agitation or movement. As a consequenceseparation is prevented or delayed and the fuel leaves the tank warmedor heated to a greater or less degree. The application of the heat maybecontinuous or periodic as the physical characteristics and theconditions of use may determine and require. The heat and circulation ofthe liquid may either or both be controlled to a certain extent by thenumber, size and spacing of the elements 11. By modifying the curvatureof the elements 11 one may also govern the circulation, and in Fig. 4 Ihave shown an element, the walls whereof are curved instead of straight.

What is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the character specified, thecombination of a tank; a supply pipe; an outlet pipe; a heat conductingpipe located within the tank; and a member in surface contact with thesaid last named pipe from which member a part extends laterally forconducting heat from the said pipe and initiating currents from theouter surface of the'said member in the material within the tank.

pipe; an outlet pipe; a heat conducting pipe located within the tank;and a series e f heat conducting deflectors carried by said last namedpipe on its outer surface, said deflectors in part at least beingprovided with openings located away from the center extendingtherethrough. In an apparatus of the character specified, thecombination of a tank; a supply pipe; an outlet pipe; a heat conductingpipe located within the tank; a series of heat conducting deflectorscarried by said last named pipe, said deflectors in part at least beingprovided with openings extending therethrough, the openings in onedeflector being staggered with reference to those in the next ad]aoentdeflector. V

5. In an apparatus of the character speci lied, the combination of atank; a supply and an outlet pipe; a heat conducting pipe located withinthe tank; and a series of inyerted cone shaped deflectors carried bysaid last named pipe 011 its outer surface.

6. In an apparatusof the character specified, the combination of a tank;a supply and an outlet pipe; a heat conducting pipe located within thetank; and a series of inverted cone shaped deflectors carried by saidlast named pipe on its outer surface, said deflectors in part at leastbeing provided with openings located away from the center extendingtherethrough.

7. In an apparatus of the character specified the combination of atank;a supply and an outlet pipe; :1- heat'conducting p pe located within'thetank; and a series of iiiverted cone shaped deflectors carried by saidlast named pipe, Said deflectors in part at least being provided withopenings extend ingtherethrough, the openings in one de flector' beingstaggered with reference to those in the next adjacent deflector. V

8. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of a tankcurved in cross section; an inlet and 'an outlet therefor; a heatingpipe extending vertically therein; and a plurality of inverted coneshaped deflectors carried on the outer surface thereof, some of saiddeflectors being provided with openings located away from the centerextending therethrough.

9. In an ap )aratus of the character specified, the combination of atank substantially circular in cross section; an inlet pipe; an

outlet pipe terminating short of the lower portion of thetank; a Tsecured to the lower end of said outlet pipe; a heating pipe extendinginto the tank and through the T, thence out of the tank; and a series ofdefiectors carried by the heating pipe.

10. In an apparatus of the character specified, the combination of atank substantially circular in cross section; an inlet pipe; an outletpipe terminating short of the lower portion of the tank; a T secured tothe lower endof'said outlet pipe; a heatin pipe extending into the tankand throng the pipe; an outlet pipe terminating short of the lowerportion of the tank; a T secured to the lower end of said outlet pipe; aheat- 10 ing pipe extending into the tank and through the T, thence outof the tank; and a series of inverted cone shaped deflectors carried bythe inlet and outlet sections of the heating pipe, said deflectors inpart at least being provided with openings extending there- 7 through.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LINDON WALLACE BATES.

